Cooking method and apparatus, device, storage medium

Abstract

The embodiment of the present disclosure discloses a cooking method, device, equipment and storage medium. The method comprises: alternately performing heating treatment and humidification treatment on food materials placed in a cooking cavity of a cooking device; wherein the heating treatment at least cooks the food materials, and the humidification treatment reduces the water loss rate of the food materials; in response to the end of the alternation cycle, drying treatment is performed on the humidified food materials, at least to make the surface layer of the food materials dry.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to, but is not limited to, the field of household appliances, and particularly to a cooking method, equipment, apparatus, and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] Cooking equipment primarily cooks ingredients by heating them. However, some cooking equipment and methods in these technologies can cause excessive water loss from both the inside and outside of the ingredients due to excessively high temperatures during the heating process. This results in the cooked ingredients having insufficient internal moisture and an overly dry surface, affecting their taste. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the above, embodiments of this disclosure provide a cooking method, apparatus, device, and storage medium.

[0004] The technical solution of this disclosure embodiment is implemented as follows:

[0005] On one hand, embodiments of this disclosure provide a cooking method applied to a cooking apparatus having a cooking cavity, the method comprising:

[0006] The ingredients placed in the cooking cavity are alternately and cyclically heated and humidified; wherein the heating treatment at least cooks the ingredients, and the humidification treatment reduces the water loss rate of the ingredients.

[0007] In response to the end of the alternating cycle, the humidified food is dried to at least make the surface of the food dry.

[0008] On the other hand, embodiments of this disclosure provide a cooking apparatus, including:

[0009] The cooking cavity is used to hold the ingredients to be cooked;

[0010] Heating assembly for heating the cooking cavity;

[0011] A humidifying component is used to humidify the food ingredients;

[0012] A control component is configured to: control the heating component and the humidifying component to alternately heat and humidify the food placed in the cooking cavity; wherein the heating process at least cooks the food, and the humidifying process reduces the water loss rate of the food; and in response to the end of the alternating cycle, control the heating component to dry the humidified food, at least making the surface of the food dry.

[0013] In another aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a cooking apparatus, including:

[0014] The first processing module is used to alternately heat and humidify the ingredients placed in the cooking cavity; wherein the heating process at least cooks the ingredients, and the humidification process reduces the water loss rate of the ingredients.

[0015] The second processing module is used to dry the humidified food in response to the end of the alternating cycle, so as to at least make the surface of the food dry.

[0016] In another aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in the above-described method.

[0017] In this embodiment, the ingredients placed in the cooking cavity are alternately heated and humidified, and in response to the end of the alternating cycle, the humidified ingredients are dried. This ensures that at least the surface of the ingredients is dry. Thus, on the one hand, the alternating heating and humidification processes reduce the water loss rate of the ingredients during cooking, thereby increasing the internal moisture content and improving the tenderness of the cooked ingredients. On the other hand, the drying process ensures that at least the surface of the ingredients is dry, resulting in a dry surface texture and ultimately achieving a tender interior and a dry exterior after cooking. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating the implementation process of a cooking method provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating the implementation process of a cooking method provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 3A This is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of a cooking device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 3B This is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of a cooking device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 3C This is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of a cooking device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 3D This is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of a cooking device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 4A This is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of a cooking device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 4BThis is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of a cooking device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the composition of a cooking apparatus provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of this disclosure are further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. The described embodiments should not be regarded as limitations on this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0028] In the following description, references to "some embodiments" describe a subset of all possible embodiments; however, it is understood that "some embodiments" may be the same subset or different subsets of all possible embodiments and may be combined with each other without conflict. The terms "first, second, third" used in the following description are merely to distinguish similar objects and do not represent a specific ordering of objects. It is understood that "first, second, third" may be interchanged in a specific order or sequence where permitted, so that the embodiments of this disclosure described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein.

[0029] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments of this disclosure only and is not intended to be limiting of this disclosure.

[0030] This disclosure provides a cooking method applied to a cooking device with a cooking cavity. The method can be executed by a control component of the cooking device, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the method includes the following steps S101 to S102:

[0031] Step S101: The ingredients placed in the cooking cavity are alternately heated and humidified; wherein the heating treatment at least cooks the ingredients, and the humidification treatment reduces the water loss rate of the ingredients.

[0032] Here, cooking equipment may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: grill, rice cooker, electric pressure cooker, electric steamer, air fryer, electric oven, microwave oven, etc.

[0033] The ingredients placed in the cooking cavity can be at least one of the following, including but not limited to grains, pasta, meat, soy products, vegetables, and fruits. The ingredients can be placed directly at the bottom of the cooking cavity, or they can be supported by supporting components (such as support plates, support frames, etc.) within the cooking cavity and placed in the middle or upper part of the cooking cavity. This disclosure does not limit the specific ingredients.

[0034] Heating treatment can include, but is not limited to, at least one of direct heat source heating treatment and indirect heat source heating treatment. Direct heat source heating applies heat energy directly to the food, such as flue gas heating, electric current heating, or electrode heating. Indirect heat source heating applies heat energy from a direct heat source to an intermediate heat carrier, which then transfers the heat energy to the food, such as steam heating, hot water heating, or hot air heating. Through heating treatment, food can be cooked to at least a specific degree of doneness, such as rare, medium-rare, or well-done.

[0035] Humidification treatment can include, but is not limited to, at least one of vapor humidification, liquid humidification, and mist humidification. Vapor humidification refers to applying the humidifying liquid to the food in a vaporized state; for example, the humidifying liquid can be vaporized and sprayed onto the surface of the food. Liquid humidification refers to applying the humidifying liquid to the food in a liquid state; for example, the liquid humidifying liquid can be directly sprayed onto the surface of the food. Mist humidification refers to applying the humidifying liquid to the food in a mist state; for example, the humidifying liquid can be atomized and sprayed onto the surface of the food. The humidifying liquid can be any suitable edible solution containing water, and this disclosure does not limit this. For example, the humidifying liquid can be pure water or an aqueous solution with added edible seasonings, colorants, and / or flavor enhancers. Through humidification treatment, the loss of water from the food can be slowed down, thereby reducing the water loss rate of the food.

[0036] During implementation, the ingredients placed in the cooking chamber can be alternately heated and humidified at least once. The ingredients in the cooking chamber can be cooked through a single heating treatment or through at least two heating treatments; there is no limitation on this.

[0037] In some implementations, the temperature of the humidifying liquid can be set lower than the temperature of the gas in the cooking cavity or lower than the temperature of the food to cool the food, thereby slowing down the water loss caused by high temperature and further reducing the water loss rate of the food.

[0038] Step S102: In response to the end of the alternating cycle, the humidified food is dried to at least make the surface of the food dry.

[0039] Here, after the alternating heating and humidification processes are completed, any suitable drying method can be used to dry the humidified food. The drying process can remove some or all of the surface moisture of the food, thereby ensuring that at least the surface of the food is dry. While the surface of the food is dry, it can have a crisp texture or a soft, tender texture, etc., and this embodiment is not limited in this respect.

[0040] In practice, the drying process may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: vacuum drying, freeze drying, airflow drying, microwave drying, infrared drying, high-frequency drying, and hot air drying.

[0041] In some embodiments, drying can remove some of the moisture from the surface of the food, resulting in a dry surface and a crispy texture. In other embodiments, drying can remove all the moisture from the surface of the food, resulting in a crispy surface.

[0042] In some implementations, the method further includes:

[0043] Step S111: Stop the alternation cycle if at least one of the following conditions is met:

[0044] The ingredients have reached the preset level of cooking.

[0045] The heating treatment and the humidification treatment are alternated and cycled a preset number of times;

[0046] The total duration of the heating treatment and the humidification treatment reaches the preset duration.

[0047] Here, the preset doneness can be set by the user according to actual needs, it can be the system default, or it can be determined according to the type of food. This embodiment of the disclosure is not limited in this respect. For example, when the food is steak, the preset doneness can be determined to be medium-rare; when the food is pork, the preset doneness can be determined to be well-done; when the food is leafy vegetables, the preset doneness can be determined to be medium-well; and when the food is grains, the preset doneness can be determined to be well-done. In implementation, an image sensor can be used to sense the visual state of the food to determine the current doneness of the food based on visual changes, thereby determining whether the food has reached the preset doneness; a temperature sensor can also be used to sense the temperature of the food to determine the current doneness of the food based on temperature changes; and a humidity sensor can also be used to sense the moisture content of the food to determine the current doneness of the food based on changes in moisture content.

[0048] The preset number of times can be set by the user according to actual needs, or it can be the system default, or it can be determined based on the set total cooking time, the time required for a single heating treatment and / or the time required for a single humidification treatment. There are no restrictions here.

[0049] The preset cooking time can be set by the user according to actual needs, it can be the system default, or it can be determined based on the volume or weight of the food placed in the cooking cavity; there are no limitations here. For example, the larger the volume of the food placed in the cooking cavity, the longer the preset cooking time can be; similarly, the greater the weight of the food placed in the cooking cavity, the longer the preset cooking time can be.

[0050] In this embodiment, the ingredients placed in the cooking cavity are alternately heated and humidified, and in response to the end of the alternating cycle, the humidified ingredients are dried. This ensures that at least the surface of the ingredients is dry. Thus, on the one hand, the alternating heating and humidification processes reduce the water loss rate of the ingredients during cooking, thereby increasing the internal moisture content and improving the tenderness of the cooked ingredients. On the other hand, the drying process ensures that at least the surface of the ingredients is dry, resulting in a dry surface texture and ultimately achieving a tender interior and a dry exterior after cooking.

[0051] This disclosure provides a cooking method applied to a cooking device with a cooking cavity. The method can be executed by a control component of the cooking device, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the method includes the following steps S201 to S203:

[0052] Step S201: Based on the target state of the cooking ingredients, determine the heating parameters for the heating treatment, the humidification parameters for the humidification treatment, and the drying parameters for the drying treatment.

[0053] Here, the target state may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: target texture, target doneness, target crispness, etc. In practice, the target state of the cooking ingredients may be preset by the user or be a system default; this disclosure does not limit this.

[0054] For different target conditions, corresponding heating parameters, humidification parameters, and drying parameters can be used in the heating treatment, humidification treatment, and drying treatment processes, respectively. Heating parameters may include, but are not limited to, at least one of heating duration, heating temperature, and heating mode; humidification parameters may include, but are not limited to, at least one of humidification duration, humidification temperature, and humidification mode; drying parameters may include, but are not limited to, at least one of drying duration, drying temperature, and drying mode.

[0055] For example, when the target texture is tender, a longer humidification time, a lower humidification temperature, a lower heating temperature, a shorter heating time, a lower drying temperature, and / or a shorter drying time can be used; when the target texture is tough, a shorter humidification time, a higher humidification temperature, a higher heating temperature, a longer heating time, a higher drying temperature, and / or a longer drying time can be used.

[0056] For example, when the target maturity corresponding to the target state is high, a shorter humidification time, a higher heating temperature, a longer heating time, a higher drying temperature, and / or a longer drying time can be used; when the target maturity corresponding to the target state is low, a longer humidification time, a lower heating temperature, a shorter heating time, a lower drying temperature, and / or a shorter drying time can be used.

[0057] For example, when the target brittleness corresponding to the target state is low, a longer humidification time, a lower humidification temperature, a lower heating temperature, a shorter heating time, a lower drying temperature, and / or a shorter drying time can be used; when the target brittleness corresponding to the target state is high, a shorter humidification time, a higher humidification temperature, a higher heating temperature, a longer heating time, a higher drying temperature, and / or a longer drying time can be used.

[0058] In some implementations, the correspondence between the state of at least one ingredient and heating parameters, humidification parameters and drying parameters can be predetermined. By querying this correspondence, the heating parameters, humidification parameters and drying parameters corresponding to the target state of the ingredient can be determined.

[0059] In some implementations, a reference state can be preset, and reference heating parameters, reference humidification parameters, and reference drying parameters corresponding to this reference state can be determined. Based on the degree of difference between the target state and the reference state, a first coefficient, a second coefficient, and a third coefficient corresponding to the target state can be determined. Multiplying the reference heating parameters, reference humidification parameters, and reference drying parameters by the first coefficient, second coefficient, and third coefficient respectively yields the heating parameters, humidification parameters, and drying parameters corresponding to the target state. Here, the reference heating parameters, reference humidification parameters, and reference drying parameters corresponding to the reference state can be preset using historical data or human experience. The degree of difference between the target state and the reference state can include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: difference in taste, difference in ripeness, difference in crispness, etc. For example, if the target ripeness corresponding to the target state is higher than the reference ripeness corresponding to the reference state, the first coefficient can be greater than 1, the second coefficient can be greater than 0 and less than 1, and the third coefficient can be greater than 1. Similarly, if the target crispness corresponding to the target state is lower than the reference crispness corresponding to the reference state, the first coefficient can be greater than 0 and less than 1, the second coefficient can be greater than 1, and the third coefficient can be greater than 0 and less than 1.

[0060] In some implementations, a reference state can be preset, and reference heating parameters, reference humidification parameters, and reference drying parameters corresponding to this reference state can be determined. Based on the degree of difference between the target state and the reference state, a first offset, a second offset, and a third offset corresponding to the target state can be determined. Adding the first offset, the second offset, and the third offset to the reference heating parameters, the reference humidification parameters, and the reference drying parameters respectively yields the heating parameters, humidification parameters, and drying parameters corresponding to the target state. For example, if the target maturity corresponding to the target state is higher than the reference maturity corresponding to the reference state, the first offset can be greater than 0, the second offset can be less than 0, and the third offset can be greater than 0. Similarly, if the target crispness corresponding to the target state is lower than the reference crispness corresponding to the reference state, the first offset can be less than 0, the second offset can be greater than 0, and the third offset can be less than 0.

[0061] In some implementations, for the same target state, the larger the volume of the food placed in the cooking cavity, the longer the heating time, humidification time, and drying time, and the higher the heating temperature, humidification temperature, and drying temperature; the larger the weight of the food placed in the cooking cavity, the longer the heating time, humidification time, and drying time, and the higher the heating temperature, humidification temperature, and drying temperature.

[0062] Step S202: The ingredients placed in the cooking cavity are alternately heated and humidified. In each cycle of heating and humidification, the ingredients are heated and humidified sequentially according to the heating parameters and the humidification parameters, respectively.

[0063] In step S203, in response to the end of the alternating cycle, the humidified food is dried according to the drying parameters to at least make the surface of the food dry.

[0064] Here, steps S202 to S203 correspond to steps S101 to S102 in the foregoing embodiments, and the implementation of steps S101 to S102 can be referred to in practice.

[0065] In this embodiment of the disclosure, heating parameters for heating treatment, humidification parameters for humidification treatment, and drying parameters for drying treatment are determined based on the target state of the ingredients to be cooked. This ensures that the cooked ingredients meet the target state and thus better meet the needs of users.

[0066] In some embodiments, the heating parameters include heating temperature and heating duration, the humidification parameters include humidification duration, and the drying parameters include drying temperature and drying duration; step S201 may include the following steps S211 to S212:

[0067] Step S211: When the target state is the first state, determine the heating temperature as the first temperature, the heating duration as the first duration, the humidification duration as the second duration, the drying temperature as the second temperature, and the drying duration as the third duration.

[0068] Step S212: When the target state is the second state, determine the heating temperature as the third temperature, the heating duration as the fourth duration, the humidification duration as the fifth duration, the drying temperature as the fourth temperature, and the drying duration as the sixth duration.

[0069] Wherein, the surface crispness of the food in the first state is lower than that of the food in the second state, the first temperature and the second temperature are both greater than the first temperature threshold, the third temperature and the fourth temperature are both greater than the second temperature threshold, the first temperature threshold is less than or equal to the second temperature threshold, and the second duration is greater than the fifth duration.

[0070] Here, the surface crispness of the food in the first state is lower than that in the second state.

[0071] In some implementations, the first state may be a state in which the surface crispness of the corresponding ingredient is lower than a set crispness threshold, and the second state may be a state in which the surface crispness of the corresponding ingredient is higher than or equal to the crispness threshold.

[0072] The first and second temperatures can be any suitable temperatures higher than the first temperature threshold, and the third and fourth temperatures can be any suitable temperatures higher than the second temperature threshold. In implementation, both the first and second temperature thresholds can be preset, system defaults, or determined based on historical data; there are no specific limitations here.

[0073] In some implementations, the first duration is less than or equal to the third duration, and the fourth duration is greater than or equal to the sixth duration.

[0074] In the above embodiments, in the first state where the surface crispness of the corresponding ingredient is low, the lower limit of the temperature range of heating and drying is less than or equal to the lower limit of the temperature range of heating and drying in the second state where the surface crispness of the corresponding ingredient is high. Furthermore, in the first state where the surface crispness of the corresponding ingredient is low, the humidification time is longer than in the second state where the surface crispness of the corresponding ingredient is high. Thus, by using lower heating and drying temperatures and a longer humidification time, the cooked ingredient can achieve a target state of low surface crispness, resulting in a tender texture both inside and out. Conversely, by using higher heating and drying temperatures and a shorter humidification time, the cooked ingredient can achieve a target state of high surface crispness, resulting in a crispy exterior and tender interior.

[0075] In some embodiments, the humidification parameters further include a humidification mode; step S201 may further include the following step S221:

[0076] Step S221: When the humidification mode is liquid humidification, determine that the second duration is less than the first duration threshold and both the first temperature and the second temperature are greater than the third temperature threshold; wherein the third temperature threshold is greater than the first temperature threshold.

[0077] Here, the first duration threshold and the third temperature threshold can both be preset by the user or be the system default; this embodiment does not limit this.

[0078] In some embodiments, step S201 may further include step S222:

[0079] Step S221: When the humidification mode is liquid humidification, determine that the fifth duration is less than the second duration threshold, and that the third temperature and the fourth temperature are both greater than the fourth temperature threshold; wherein, the fourth temperature threshold is greater than the second temperature threshold, and the second duration threshold is less than the first duration threshold.

[0080] Here, the second duration threshold and the fourth temperature threshold can both be preset by the user or be the system default; this embodiment of the disclosure does not limit this.

[0081] In the above embodiments, when the humidification mode is liquid humidification, the second duration is less than the first duration threshold, the first temperature and the second temperature are both greater than the third temperature threshold, and the third temperature threshold is greater than the first temperature threshold. This allows for higher heating temperatures and higher drying temperatures to be used for heating and drying the food in liquid humidification mode, while also allowing for shorter humidification durations. This improves the rates of heating, humidification, and drying, thereby increasing the overall cooking speed.

[0082] In some embodiments, step S201 may include the following step S231:

[0083] Step S231: Based on the target state of cooking the ingredients and the set total cooking time, determine the heating parameters for the heating treatment, the humidification parameters for the humidification treatment, and the drying parameters for the drying treatment.

[0084] In some implementations, the state of at least one ingredient and the correspondence between the total cooking time and the heating parameters, humidification parameters and drying parameters can be predetermined. By querying this correspondence, the heating parameters, humidification parameters and drying parameters that match the target state of the ingredient and the set total cooking time can be determined.

[0085] In some implementations, when the heating parameters include heating time, the humidification parameters include humidification time, and the drying parameters include drying time, the proportional relationship between the heating time, humidification time, and drying time can be determined based on the target state of the food being cooked. Based on this proportional relationship and the set total cooking time, the heating time, humidification time, and drying time can be determined.

[0086] In the above embodiments, heating parameters for heating treatment, humidification parameters for humidification treatment, and drying parameters for drying treatment are determined based on the target state of the ingredients and the set total cooking time. In this way, the determined heating parameters, humidification parameters, and drying parameters take into account the target state of the ingredients and the set total cooking time, thereby better meeting the user's cooking needs.

[0087] In some embodiments, the heating parameters include heating temperature and heating duration, the humidification parameters include humidification duration and humidification mode, and the drying parameters include drying temperature and drying duration; step S231 above may include the following steps S241 to S242:

[0088] Step S241: Based on the set total cooking time, determine the humidification mode, wherein the humidification mode includes one of the following: vapor humidification, liquid humidification, and mist humidification.

[0089] In some implementations, when the total cooking time exceeds a third time threshold, the humidification mode can be determined to be vapor humidification and / or mist humidification; when the total cooking time does not exceed the third time threshold, the humidification mode can be determined to be liquid humidification. In practice, the third time threshold can be preset by the user or be a system default; this disclosure does not limit this. Thus, when the total cooking time is long, vapor humidification and / or mist humidification can be used to humidify the food to improve the uniformity of humidification, thereby resulting in a more uniform texture after cooking; when the total cooking time is short, liquid humidification can be used to humidify the food to improve the efficiency of humidification, thereby improving cooking efficiency.

[0090] In some implementations, the humidification mode can be determined as mist humidification if the total cooking time exceeds a fourth time threshold; as vapor humidification if the total cooking time does not exceed the fourth time threshold but exceeds a fifth time threshold; and as liquid humidification if the total cooking time does not exceed the fifth time threshold. In practice, both the fourth and fifth time thresholds can be preset by the user or be system defaults, and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0091] Step S242: Based on the target state of the ingredients and the humidification mode, determine the heating temperature, the heating duration, the humidification duration, the drying temperature, and the drying duration.

[0092] Here, in some implementations, the state of at least one ingredient and the correspondence between the humidification mode and the heating temperature, heating time, humidification time, drying temperature and drying time can be predetermined. By querying the correspondence, the heating temperature, heating time, humidification time, drying temperature and drying time that match the target state and humidification mode of the cooking ingredient can be determined.

[0093] In some implementations, when the target state is a first state and the humidification mode is liquid humidification, the heating temperature can be determined as a first temperature, the heating duration as a first duration, the humidification duration as a second duration, the drying temperature as a second temperature, and the drying duration as a third duration, wherein the second duration is less than the first duration threshold, and both the first and second temperatures are greater than the third temperature threshold. When the target state is a second state and the humidification mode is liquid humidification, the heating temperature can be determined as a third temperature, the heating duration as a fourth duration, the humidification duration as a fifth duration, the drying temperature as a fourth temperature, and the drying duration as a sixth duration, wherein the fifth duration is less than the second duration threshold, and both the third and fourth temperatures are greater than the fourth temperature threshold. Specifically, the surface crispness of the food in the first state is lower than that in the second state, the third temperature threshold is less than or equal to the fourth temperature threshold, the second duration is greater than the fifth duration, and the second duration threshold is less than the first duration threshold. Here, the third temperature threshold, the fourth temperature threshold, the second duration threshold, and the first duration threshold can all be preset by the user according to actual conditions, or they can be system defaults.

[0094] In some implementations, when the target state is the first state and the humidification mode is vapor humidification or mist humidification, the heating temperature can be determined as a first temperature, the heating duration as a first duration, the humidification duration as a second duration, the drying temperature as a second temperature, and the drying duration as a third duration, wherein the second duration is less than a sixth duration threshold, and both the first and second temperatures are greater than a fifth temperature threshold; when the target state is the second state and the humidification mode is vapor humidification or mist humidification, the heating temperature can be determined as a third temperature, the heating duration as a fourth duration, and the humidification duration as a fifth duration. The drying temperature is set to the fourth temperature, and the drying time to the sixth time. The fifth time is less than the seventh time threshold, and both the third and fourth temperatures are greater than the sixth temperature threshold. Specifically, the surface crispness of the food in the first state is lower than that in the second state. The fifth temperature threshold is less than or equal to the sixth temperature threshold, and the fifth temperature threshold is less than the third temperature threshold. The sixth temperature threshold is less than the fourth temperature threshold. The second time is greater than the fifth time. The seventh time threshold is less than the sixth time threshold, and the sixth time threshold is greater than the first time threshold. The seventh time threshold is greater than the second time threshold. Here, the fifth, sixth, sixth, and seventh temperature thresholds can be preset by the user according to actual conditions, or they can be system defaults.

[0095] In the above embodiments, the humidification mode is determined based on the set total cooking time, and the heating temperature, heating time, humidification time, drying temperature, and drying time are determined based on the target state of the ingredients and the humidification mode. In this way, the corresponding humidification mode can be adopted according to different total cooking times, and the heating temperature, heating time, humidification time, drying temperature, and drying time can be determined by combining the humidification mode and the target state of the ingredients, thus better meeting the user's cooking needs.

[0096] This disclosure provides a cooking device, such as... Figure 3A As shown, the cooking device 300 includes: a cooking cavity 310, a heating component 320, a humidifying component 330, and a control component 340, wherein:

[0097] The cooking cavity 310 is used to hold the ingredients to be cooked;

[0098] The heating component 320 is used to heat the cooking cavity;

[0099] The humidification component 330 is used to humidify the food ingredients;

[0100] The control component 340 is configured to: control the heating component 320 and the humidifying component 330 to alternately heat and humidify the food placed in the cooking cavity 310; wherein the heating process at least cooks the food, and the humidifying process reduces the water loss rate of the food; in response to the end of the alternating cycle, control the heating component 320 to dry the humidified food, at least making the surface of the food dry.

[0101] Here, the cooking cavity can be any suitable cavity in the cooking equipment used to place the ingredients to be cooked and to provide processing space for the ingredients; this disclosure does not limit this. For example, the cooking cavity may include at least one of the following: the inner pot, the heating plate, the heating chamber, etc., of the cooking equipment.

[0102] The heating component can be any suitable heating method that heats food based on heat conduction and / or resistance, and may include, but is not limited to, at least one of heating plates, heating electrodes, hot air components, etc.

[0103] The humidification component can be any suitable component for humidifying food, including but not limited to at least one of spray components, water injection components, etc. The spray component can include but not limited to water spray components.

[0104] In practice, the cooking cavity, heating element, humidification element, and control element can all be located at any suitable location within the cooking equipment; there are no limitations. For example, the cooking cavity can be located inside or outside the cooking equipment, the heating element can be located at the bottom, side, and / or top of the cooking cavity, and the humidification element can be located at the bottom, side, and / or top of the cooking cavity.

[0105] In some embodiments, the control component is further configured to: determine heating parameters for the heating treatment, humidification parameters for the humidification treatment, and drying parameters for the drying treatment based on the target state of cooking the ingredients; during each cycle of heating and humidification treatment, control the heating component to heat the ingredients placed in the cooking cavity according to the heating parameters, and control the humidification component to humidify the heated ingredients according to the humidification parameters; and in response to the end of the alternating cycle, control the heating component to dry the humidified ingredients according to the drying parameters.

[0106] In some embodiments, the heating parameters include heating temperature and heating duration, the humidification parameters include humidification duration, and the drying parameters include drying temperature and drying duration; the control component is further configured to: when the target state is a first state, determine the heating temperature as a first temperature, the heating duration as a first duration, the humidification duration as a second duration, the drying temperature as a second temperature, and the drying duration as a third duration; when the target state is a second state, determine the heating temperature as a third temperature, the heating duration as a fourth duration, the humidification duration as a fifth duration, the drying temperature as a fourth temperature, and the drying duration as a sixth duration; wherein, the surface crispness of the food in the first state is lower than the surface crispness of the food in the second state, the first temperature and the second temperature are both greater than a first temperature threshold, the third temperature and the fourth temperature are both greater than a second temperature threshold, the first temperature threshold is less than or equal to the second temperature threshold, and the second duration is greater than the fifth duration.

[0107] In some embodiments, the humidification parameters further include a humidification mode; the control component is further configured to: when the humidification mode is liquid humidification, determine that the second duration is less than a first duration threshold, and both the first temperature and the second temperature are greater than a third temperature threshold; wherein the third temperature threshold is greater than the first temperature threshold.

[0108] In some embodiments, the control component is further configured to: determine the heating parameters of the heating treatment, the humidification parameters of the humidification treatment, and the drying parameters of the drying treatment based on the target state of cooking the ingredients and the set total cooking time.

[0109] In some embodiments, the heating parameters include heating temperature and heating duration, the humidification parameters include humidification duration and humidification mode, and the drying parameters include drying temperature and drying duration; the control component is further configured to: determine the humidification mode based on a set total cooking time, wherein the humidification mode includes one of the following: vapor humidification, liquid humidification, and mist humidification; and determine the heating temperature, the heating duration, the humidification duration, the drying temperature, and the drying duration based on the target state of the food and the humidification mode.

[0110] In some embodiments, the control component is further configured to: stop the alternating cycle when at least one of the following conditions is met: the food reaches a preset degree of doneness; the number of alternating cycles of heating treatment and humidification treatment reaches a preset number; the total duration of the cumulative heating treatment and humidification treatment reaches a preset duration.

[0111] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3B As shown, the heating assembly 320 includes a hot air assembly 321 for delivering hot air into the cooking cavity.

[0112] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3C As shown, the humidification component 330 includes a spray component 331, which is used to spray humidifying liquid onto the food. The control component 340 is further used to control the spray component to spray humidifying liquid onto the heated food to humidify the food. The state of the humidifying liquid includes one of the following: vapor, liquid, or mist.

[0113] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3D As shown, the humidification assembly 330 also includes a liquid storage assembly 332 for storing humidification liquid; the spray assembly 331 includes a state converter 331a and a nozzle 331b.

[0114] The state converter 331a is used to extract the humidifying liquid from the liquid storage component 332 and perform a state conversion, and then spray the humidifying liquid after the state conversion out through the nozzle 331b.

[0115] The control component 340 is further configured to: acquire a humidification mode for humidification, the humidification mode including vapor humidification, liquid humidification, and mist humidification; control the state converter 331a to convert the humidification liquid in the liquid storage component 332 into a state matching the humidification mode and then spray it onto the heated food through the nozzle 331b to humidify the food.

[0116] Here, the liquid storage component can be any suitable component for storing humidifying liquid, such as a liquid storage tank, liquid storage chamber, liquid storage container, or liquid storage box. In some embodiments, when the humidifying liquid is water, the liquid storage component can be a water storage component.

[0117] The following describes the application of the cooking method provided in this embodiment in a real-world scenario, using the roasting of meat as an example.

[0118] Baking equipment in related technologies (such as air fryers and electric ovens) achieves the baking of meat by controlling temperature and time. However, during the baking process, the meat muscles contract due to heat, and moisture is lost from the pores of the muscle fibers, resulting in dehydration, dryness, and poor taste. Therefore, some cooking equipment in related technologies uses steam baking, which utilizes superheated steam to bake the food. However, due to the excessively high baking temperature, the meat loses moisture unevenly inside and out, resulting in insufficient internal juiciness and an overly dry surface, thus leading to poor taste.

[0119] In view of this, this disclosure provides a cooking device that, during the roasting process of meat, can slow down the internal water loss of the meat by spraying water / steam and replenish the moisture on the surface of the meat, achieving a multi-layered cooking effect for the meat. For example... Figure 4A As shown, the cooking device includes a water spraying section and a cooking section. The water spraying section includes a water storage assembly 411 and a water spraying assembly 412. The water spraying assembly includes a state converter and a nozzle (not shown in the figure). The state converter can convert water drawn from the water tank into vapor, mist, and / or liquid water droplets, etc. The water after state conversion can be sprayed onto the upper and side surfaces of the food through the nozzle. The cooking section includes a hot air assembly 421, a cooking chamber 422, and a support frame 423. The hot air assembly 421 is used to heat the gas in the cooking chamber 422 and circulate the heated gas in the cooking chamber. The support frame 423 is used to support the food 10 to be cooked. In implementation, when the water spraying direction of the water spraying assembly is downward, the nozzle is not limited to any position on the top of the cooking chamber; it can be at the edge of the top of the cooking chamber or in the middle of the top of the cooking chamber. When the water spraying direction of the water spraying assembly is from the side of the cooking chamber towards the center, the nozzle is not limited to any position on the side of the cooking chamber.

[0120] In some implementations, such as Figure 4BAs shown, the cooking device may further include a control component 430, which is used to: control the hot air component 421 and the water spray component 412 to alternately heat and humidify the food 10 placed in the cooking chamber 422; wherein the heating treatment at least cooks the food, and the humidification treatment reduces the water loss rate of the food; in response to the end of the alternating cycle, control the hot air component 421 to dry the humidified food, at least making the surface of the food dry.

[0121] Based on the cooking equipment provided in this embodiment, this embodiment provides a cooking method. The method involves a cooking process (corresponding to the heating process in the previous embodiment), a humidification process, and an air-drying and coloring process (corresponding to the drying process in the previous embodiment). First, the meat ingredients to be cooked are placed in the cooking cavity to cook, so that the surface of the meat ingredients is dry and the inside begins to lose water. Then, the humidity in the cooking cavity is increased by gas humidification, mist humidification, and / or liquid humidification to humidify the meat ingredients, help the meat ingredients to be plump inside, slow down the rate of water loss, and finally air-dry the surface moisture of the meat ingredients and bake them for coloring.

[0122] In some implementations, the meat can be tenderly roasted using steps S401 to S404 to achieve a tender texture both inside and out:

[0123] Step S401, Preparation stage: Place the ingredients in a container and start the cooking program.

[0124] Step S402, Cooking process: Activate the hot air assembly to heat the cooking cavity to temperature T1 and maintain it for time t1.

[0125] Where T1 is greater than 100 degrees Celsius (°C). In practice, the heating temperature T1 and heating time t1 can be determined based on the volume and type of the food. For example, the heating temperature T1 and heating time t1 corresponding to different foods can be shown in Table 1 below. For chicken wings, the heating temperature T1 can range from 120 to 160°C, and the heating time t1 can range from the start of cooking to 1 / 4 to 1 / 3 of the total cooking time, such as 3 to 6 minutes. For chicken legs, the heating temperature T1 can range from 120 to 160°C, and the heating time t1 can range from 1 / 4 to 1 / 3 of the total cooking time. The duration corresponding to stage 3 is, for example, 5 to 10 minutes; for pork hock-like ingredients, the heating temperature T1 can be in the range of 130 to 180℃, and the heating duration t1 can be in the range of the duration corresponding to 1 / 3 of the total cooking time from the start of cooking, such as 3 to 30 minutes; for pork belly-like ingredients, the heating temperature T1 can be in the range of 120 to 180℃, and the heating duration t1 can be in the range of the duration corresponding to 1 / 4 to 1 / 3 of the total cooking time from the start of cooking, such as 3 to 6 minutes.

[0126] Table 1. Examples of heating temperatures and heating times for different ingredients.

[0127]

[0128]

[0129] Step S403, vapor humidification / mist humidification treatment: Start the water spraying assembly to convert liquid water into vapor or mist state through the state converter in the water spraying assembly and spray it onto the surface and / or sides of the food, and the spraying time is t2.

[0130] Here, the spray temperature and spray flow rate are not limited. The spray duration can correspond to the humidification duration in the aforementioned embodiments. The spray duration t2 can be determined based on the volume, type, etc. of the food. For example, the spraying time t2 corresponding to different ingredients can be shown in Table 2 below. For chicken wings, the spraying time t2 can range from 1 / 4 to 1 / 3 of the total cooking time to 2 / 3 to 3 / 4 of the total cooking time, such as 1 second to 6 minutes; for chicken legs, the spraying time t2 can range from 1 / 4 to 1 / 3 of the total cooking time to 2 / 3 to 3 / 4 of the total cooking time, such as 1 second to 8 minutes; for pork hocks, the spraying time t2 can range from 1 / 3 of the total cooking time to 1 / 2 to 2 / 3 of the total cooking time, such as 1 second to 30 minutes; for pork belly, the spraying time t2 can range from 1 / 4 to 1 / 3 of the total cooking time to 2 / 3 to 3 / 4 of the total cooking time, such as 1 second to 6 minutes.

[0131] Table 2. Examples of spraying time for different ingredients

[0132]

[0133]

[0134] During implementation, steps S402 and S403 can be executed alternately 1 to 5 times.

[0135] Step S404, air drying and coloring process: stop the water spray component and maintain the temperature inside the cooking cavity at T1 through the hot air component for a duration of t3.

[0136] Here, during the air-drying and coloring process, the temperature T1 maintained inside the cooking cavity can correspond to the drying temperature in the aforementioned embodiment, and the duration t3 can correspond to the drying duration in the aforementioned embodiment. The drying temperature T1 is the same as the heating temperature T1 during the cooking process, and the drying duration t3 can be determined according to the volume, type, etc. of the ingredients.

[0137] For example, the drying time t3 for different ingredients can be shown in Table 3 below. For chicken wings, the drying time t3 can range from 2 / 3 to 3 / 4 of the total cooking time to the end, such as 3 to 6 minutes. For chicken legs, the drying time t3 can range from 2 / 3 to 3 / 4 of the total cooking time to the end, such as 5 to 10 minutes. For pork hocks, the drying time t3 can range from 1 / 2 to 2 / 3 of the total cooking time to the end, such as 3 to 30 minutes. For pork belly, the drying time t3 can range from 2 / 3 to 3 / 4 of the total cooking time to the end, such as 3 to 6 minutes.

[0138] Table 3. Examples of drying times for different ingredients

[0139]

[0140]

[0141] In some implementations, the meat can be tenderly roasted using steps S411 to S414 to achieve a tender texture both inside and out:

[0142] Step S411, Preparation stage: Place the ingredients in the container and start the cooking program;

[0143] Step S412, Cooking process: Activate the hot air assembly to heat the cooking cavity to temperature T4 and maintain it for time t4.

[0144] The heating temperature T4 is greater than 130℃. In practice, the heating temperature T4 and heating duration t4 can be determined based on the volume and type of the food.

[0145] For example, the heating temperature T4 and heating time t4 corresponding to different ingredients can be shown in Table 4 below. For chicken wings, the heating temperature T4 can be in the range of 150 to 180°C, and the heating time t4 can be in the range of 1 to 8 minutes. In some embodiments, the heating time t4 can be in the range of 3 to 6 minutes.

[0146] Table 4. Examples of heating temperatures and heating times for different ingredients.

[0147] Chicken wings 150～180℃ 1 to 8 minutes

[0148] Step S413, Liquid humidification treatment: Activate the water spraying component to spray liquid water droplets onto the surface and / or sides of the food, with a spraying temperature of T5 and a spraying duration of t5.

[0149] Here, the value of the spray temperature T5 is not limited, and the spray duration t5 is less than 5 minutes.

[0150] In some implementations, the spraying duration t5 ranges from 5 to 20 seconds.

[0151] During implementation, steps S412 and S413 can be executed alternately 1 to 5 times.

[0152] Step S414, air drying and coloring process: stop the water spray component and maintain the temperature inside the cooking cavity at T4 through the hot air component for a duration of t4.

[0153] Here, during the air-drying and coloring process, the temperature T4 maintained inside the cooking cavity can correspond to the drying temperature in the aforementioned embodiment, and the duration t4 can correspond to the drying duration in the aforementioned embodiment. The drying temperature T4 is the same as the heating temperature T4 in the cooking process, and the drying duration t4 is the same as the heating duration t4 in the cooking process.

[0154] In some implementations, the meat can be crispy roasted using steps S421 to S424 to achieve a crispy exterior and tender interior texture:

[0155] Step S421, Preparation stage: Place the ingredients in a container and start the cooking program.

[0156] Step S422, Cooking process: Activate the hot air assembly to heat the cooking cavity to temperature T6 and maintain it for time t6.

[0157] Here, T6 is greater than 130℃, and the holding time t6 can be the duration corresponding to 1 / 5 to 1 / 3 of the total cooking time from the start. In practice, the heating temperature T6 and heating time t6 can be determined according to the volume and type of the food.

[0158] For example, the heating temperature T6 and heating time t6 corresponding to different ingredients can be shown in Table 5 below. For chicken wings, the heating temperature T6 can range from 145 to 190℃, and the heating time t6 can range from 3 to 6 minutes; for chicken legs, the heating temperature T6 can range from 145 to 190℃, and the heating time t6 can range from 5 to 10 minutes; for pork hocks, the heating temperature T6 can range from 150 to 200℃, and the heating time t6 can range from 3 to 30 minutes.

[0159] Table 5. Examples of heating temperatures and heating times for different ingredients.

[0160] Chicken wings 145～190℃ 3 to 6 minutes drumstick 145～190℃ 5-10 minutes Pork hock 150～200℃ 3 to 30 minutes

[0161] Step S423, vapor humidification / mist humidification / liquid humidification treatment: Start the water spraying assembly to convert liquid water into vapor / mist / liquid state through the state converter in the water spraying assembly and spray it onto the surface and / or sides of the food, and the spraying time is t7.

[0162] Here, the spray temperature and spray flow rate are not limited. The spray duration t7 can correspond to the humidification duration in the aforementioned embodiments. The spray duration t7 can be determined based on the volume, type, etc. of the food.

[0163] For example, the spraying time t7 corresponding to different ingredients can be shown in Table 6 below. For chicken wings, the spraying time t7 can range from 1 second to 5 minutes; for chicken legs, the spraying time t7 can range from 1 second to 6 minutes; and for pork hocks, the spraying time t7 can range from 1 second to 30 minutes.

[0164] Table 6. Examples of spraying time for different ingredients

[0165] Chicken wings 1 second to 5 minutes drumstick 1 second to 6 minutes Pork hock 1 second to 30 minutes

[0166] During implementation, steps S422 and S423 can be executed alternately 1 to 5 times.

[0167] Step S424, air drying and coloring process: stop the water spray component and maintain the temperature inside the cooking cavity at T6 through the hot air component for a duration of t8.

[0168] Here, during the air-drying and coloring process, the temperature T6 maintained inside the cooking cavity can correspond to the drying temperature in the aforementioned embodiment, and the duration t8 can correspond to the drying time in the aforementioned embodiment. The drying temperature T6 is the same as the heating temperature T6 during the cooking process, and the drying time t8 can range from 2 / 5 to 2 / 3 of the total cooking time to the end stage. In practice, the drying time t8 can be determined according to the volume and type of the ingredients. For example, the drying time t8 corresponding to different ingredients can be shown in Table 7 below. For chicken wings, the drying time t8 can range from 3 to 8 minutes; for chicken legs, the drying time t8 can range from 5 to 12 minutes; and for pork hocks, the drying time t8 can range from 3 to 30 minutes.

[0169] Table 7. Examples of drying times for different ingredients

[0170] Chicken wings 3 to 8 minutes drumstick 5-12 minutes Pork hock 3 to 30 minutes

[0171] The cooking method and cooking equipment provided in this disclosure achieve internal and external moisture retention for meat ingredients such as chicken wings, chicken legs, pork hocks, pork belly, and dried shrimp by controlling the temperature and humidifying the cavity. This can improve the problem of insufficient internal juice and monotonous taste in baking equipment such as air fryers in related technologies when baking meat ingredients, and achieve a multi-textured cooking effect for meat.

[0172] It should be noted that, during implementation, the above steps S401 to S404, S411 to S414, and S421 to S424 can all be performed manually by the user or by the control component in the cooking device. This embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0173] Based on the foregoing embodiments, this disclosure provides a cooking device, which includes various units and modules included in each unit. This device can be implemented by a processor in a cooking pot; of course, it can also be implemented by specific logic circuits. In the implementation process, the processor can be a central processing unit (CPU), microprocessor (MPU), digital signal processor (DSP), or field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc.

[0174] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the composition and structure of the cooking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown below. Figure 5 As shown, the cooking device 500 includes: a first processing module 510 and a second processing module 520, wherein:

[0175] The first processing module 510 is used to alternately heat and humidify the food placed in the cooking cavity; wherein the heating process at least cooks the food, and the humidification process reduces the water loss rate of the food.

[0176] The second processing module 520 is used to dry the humidified food in response to the end of the alternating cycle, so as to at least make the surface of the food dry.

[0177] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes: a determining module, configured to determine, based on the target state of cooking the ingredients, heating parameters for the heating treatment, humidification parameters for the humidification treatment, and drying parameters for the drying treatment; the first processing module is further configured to: in each cycle of heating treatment and humidification treatment, sequentially heat and humidify the ingredients placed in the cooking cavity according to the heating parameters and the humidification parameters; the second processing module is further configured to: dry the humidified ingredients according to the drying parameters.

[0178] In some embodiments, the heating parameters include heating temperature and heating duration, the humidification parameters include humidification duration, and the drying parameters include drying temperature and drying duration; the determining module is further configured to: when the target state is a first state, determine the heating temperature as a first temperature, the heating duration as a first duration, the humidification duration as a second duration, the drying temperature as a second temperature, and the drying duration as a third duration; when the target state is a second state, determine the heating temperature as a third temperature, the heating duration as a fourth duration, the humidification duration as a fifth duration, the drying temperature as a fourth temperature, and the drying duration as a sixth duration; wherein, the surface crispness of the food in the first state is lower than the surface crispness of the food in the second state, the first temperature and the second temperature are both greater than a first temperature threshold, the third temperature and the fourth temperature are both greater than a second temperature threshold, the first temperature threshold is less than or equal to the second temperature threshold, and the second duration is greater than the fifth duration.

[0179] In some embodiments, the humidification parameters further include a humidification mode; the determining module is further configured to: when the humidification mode is liquid humidification, determine that the second duration is less than a first duration threshold, and that both the first temperature and the second temperature are greater than a third temperature threshold; wherein the third temperature threshold is greater than the first temperature threshold.

[0180] In some embodiments, the determining module is further configured to: determine the heating parameters of the heating treatment, the humidification parameters of the humidification treatment, and the drying parameters of the drying treatment based on the target state of cooking the ingredients and the set total cooking time.

[0181] In some embodiments, the heating parameters include heating temperature and heating duration, the humidification parameters include humidification duration and humidification mode, and the drying parameters include drying temperature and drying duration; the determining module is further configured to: determine the humidification mode based on a set total cooking time, wherein the humidification mode includes one of the following: vapor humidification, liquid humidification, and mist humidification; and determine the heating temperature, the heating duration, the humidification duration, the drying temperature, and the drying duration based on the target state of the ingredients and the humidification mode.

[0182] In some embodiments, the device further includes a stop module for stopping the alternating cycle when at least one of the following conditions is met: the food reaches a preset degree of cooking; the number of alternating cycles of heating treatment and humidification treatment reaches a preset number; and the total duration of the cumulative heating treatment and humidification treatment reaches a preset duration.

[0183] The description of the above apparatus embodiments is similar to that of the above method embodiments, and has similar beneficial effects. For technical details not disclosed in the apparatus embodiments of this disclosure, please refer to the description of the method embodiments of this disclosure for understanding.

[0184] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this disclosure, if the above-described cooking method is implemented as a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, it can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiments of this disclosure, or the part that contributes to related technologies, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a cooking appliance (which may be a rice cooker, slow cooker, etc.) to execute all or part of the methods described in the various embodiments of this disclosure. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as a USB flash drive, portable hard drive, read-only memory (ROM), magnetic disk, or optical disk. Thus, the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to any specific hardware and software combination.

[0185] This disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon, characterized in that the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in the above-described method embodiments.

[0186] It should be noted that the descriptions of the storage medium embodiments above are similar to those of the method embodiments above, and have similar beneficial effects. For technical details not disclosed in the storage medium embodiments of this disclosure, please refer to the descriptions of the method embodiments of this disclosure for understanding.

[0187] It should be understood that the phrase "an embodiment" or "one embodiment" throughout the specification means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic related to the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of this disclosure. Therefore, "in one embodiment" or "one embodiment" appearing throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this disclosure, the sequence numbers of the above-described processes do not imply a sequential order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this disclosure. The sequence numbers of the above-described embodiments are for descriptive purposes only and do not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments.

[0188] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0189] In the several embodiments provided in this disclosure, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as: multiple units or components may be combined, or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection between the various components shown or discussed may be through some interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0190] The units described above as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units. They may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0191] In addition, each functional unit in the various embodiments of this disclosure can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can be a separate unit, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit; the integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or in the form of hardware plus software functional units.

[0192] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the above method embodiments can be implemented by hardware related to program instructions. The aforementioned program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it performs the steps of the above method embodiments. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program code, such as mobile storage devices, read-only memory (ROM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0193] Alternatively, if the integrated units described above are implemented as software functional modules and sold or used as independent products, they can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, or the parts that contribute to related technologies, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a cooking appliance (such as a rice cooker, slow cooker, etc.) to execute all or part of the methods described in the various embodiments of this disclosure. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as mobile storage devices, ROMs, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0194] The above description is merely an embodiment of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A cooking method characterized by, The method, applied to a cooking apparatus having a cooking cavity, comprises: Based on the target state of the ingredients for cooking, heating parameters for heat treatment, humidification parameters for humidification treatment, and drying parameters for drying treatment are determined respectively; the heating parameters include heating temperature and heating time, the humidification parameters include humidification time, and the drying parameters include drying temperature and drying time; The ingredients placed in the cooking cavity are alternately and cyclically heated and humidified; wherein the heating treatment at least cooks the ingredients, and the humidification treatment reduces the water loss rate of the ingredients. In response to the end of the alternating cycle, the humidified food is dried to at least make the surface of the food dry; The alternating heating and humidification treatment of the ingredients placed in the cooking cavity includes: During each cycle of heating and humidification, the food placed in the cooking cavity is heated and humidified sequentially according to the heating parameters and the humidification parameters, respectively. The process of drying the humidified food ingredients includes: drying the humidified food ingredients according to the drying parameters; Based on the target state of the ingredients being cooked, the heating parameters for the heating treatment, the humidification parameters for the humidification treatment, and the drying parameters for the drying treatment are determined, including: When the target state is the first state, the heating temperature is determined to be the first temperature, the heating duration to be the first duration, the humidification duration to be the second duration, the drying temperature to be the second temperature, and the drying duration to be the third duration; When the target state is the second state, the heating temperature is determined to be the third temperature, the heating duration to be the fourth duration, the humidification duration to be the fifth duration, the drying temperature to be the fourth temperature, and the drying duration to be the sixth duration; Wherein, the surface crispness of the food in the first state is lower than that of the food in the second state, the first temperature and the second temperature are both greater than the first temperature threshold, the third temperature and the fourth temperature are both greater than the second temperature threshold, the first temperature threshold is less than or equal to the second temperature threshold, and the second duration is greater than the fifth duration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The humidification parameters also include the humidification mode; The method of determining heating parameters for heat treatment, humidification parameters for humidification treatment, and drying parameters for drying treatment based on the target state of the cooking ingredients also includes: When the humidification mode is liquid humidification, it is determined that the second duration is less than the first duration threshold, and both the first temperature and the second temperature are greater than the third temperature threshold; wherein the third temperature threshold is greater than the first temperature threshold.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Based on the target state of the ingredients being cooked, the heating parameters for the heating treatment, the humidification parameters for the humidification treatment, and the drying parameters for the drying treatment are determined, including: Based on the target state of the ingredients and the set total cooking time, the heating parameters for the heating treatment, the humidification parameters for the humidification treatment, and the drying parameters for the drying treatment are determined respectively.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The heating parameters include heating temperature and heating duration; the humidification parameters include humidification duration and humidification mode; and the drying parameters include drying temperature and drying duration. The process of determining the heating parameters for the heating treatment, the humidification parameters for the humidification treatment, and the drying parameters for the drying treatment based on the target state of cooking the ingredients and the set total cooking time includes: Based on the set total cooking time, the humidification mode is determined, wherein the humidification mode includes one of the following: vapor humidification, liquid humidification, and mist humidification; Based on the target state of the ingredients and the humidification mode, the heating temperature, the heating duration, the humidification duration, the drying temperature, and the drying duration are determined.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: The alternating cycle shall be stopped if at least one of the following conditions is met: The ingredients have reached the preset level of cooking. The heating treatment and the humidification treatment are alternated and cycled a preset number of times; The total duration of the heating treatment and the humidification treatment reaches the preset duration.

6. A cooking apparatus, characterized by, include: The cooking cavity is used to hold the ingredients to be cooked; Heating assembly for heating the cooking cavity; A humidifying component is used to humidify the food ingredients; A control component is configured to: determine heating parameters for heating treatment, humidification parameters for humidification treatment, and drying parameters for drying treatment based on the target state of the ingredients being cooked; the heating parameters include heating temperature and heating duration, the humidification parameters include humidification duration, and the drying parameters include drying temperature and drying duration; control the heating component and the humidification component to alternately and cyclically heat and humidify the ingredients placed in the cooking cavity; wherein the heating treatment at least cooks the ingredients, and the humidification treatment reduces the water loss rate of the ingredients; in response to the end of the alternating cycle, control the heating component to dry the humidified ingredients, at least ensuring that the surface of the ingredients is dry; The control component is also used to: heat and humidify the food placed in the cooking cavity according to the heating parameters and the humidification parameters in each cycle of heating and humidification; and dry the humidified food according to the drying parameters. The control component is further configured to: when the target state is a first state, determine that the heating temperature is a first temperature, the heating duration is a first duration, the humidification duration is a second duration, the drying temperature is a second temperature, and the drying duration is a third duration; and when the target state is a second state, determine that the heating temperature is a third temperature, the heating duration is a fourth duration, the humidification duration is a fifth duration, the drying temperature is a fourth temperature, and the drying duration is a sixth duration. Wherein, the surface crispness of the food in the first state is lower than that of the food in the second state, the first temperature and the second temperature are both greater than the first temperature threshold, the third temperature and the fourth temperature are both greater than the second temperature threshold, the first temperature threshold is less than or equal to the second temperature threshold, and the second duration is greater than the fifth duration.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein, The heating component includes: A hot air assembly for delivering hot air into the cooking cavity.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 or 7, wherein, The humidification component includes a spray component, which is used to spray humidifying liquid onto the food. The control component is also used to: control the spray component to spray humidifying liquid onto the heated food to humidify the food; wherein the state of the humidifying liquid includes one of the following: vapor state, liquid state, mist state.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein, The humidification assembly also includes a liquid storage assembly for storing humidification liquid; the spray assembly includes a state converter and nozzles; The state converter is used to extract the humidifying liquid from the liquid storage assembly and perform a state conversion, and then spray the humidifying liquid after the state conversion out through the nozzle. The control component is also used to: acquire the humidification mode of the humidification process, the humidification mode including vapor humidification, liquid humidification, and mist humidification; control the state converter to convert the humidification liquid in the liquid storage component into a state matching the humidification mode and then spray it through the nozzle onto the heated food to humidify the food.

10. A cooking apparatus characterized by, include: The determining module is used to: determine the heating parameters for heating treatment, the humidification parameters for humidification treatment, and the drying parameters for drying treatment based on the target state of the cooking ingredients; the heating parameters include heating temperature and heating duration, the humidification parameters include humidification duration, and the drying parameters include drying temperature and drying duration; The first processing module is used to alternately heat and humidify the ingredients placed in the cooking cavity; wherein the heating process at least cooks the ingredients, and the humidification process reduces the water loss rate of the ingredients. The second processing module is used to dry the humidified food in response to the end of the alternating cycle, so as to at least make the surface of the food dry. The first processing module is further configured to: in each cycle of heating and humidifying treatment, sequentially heat and humidify the food placed in the cooking cavity according to the heating parameters and the humidifying parameters, respectively; The second processing module is further configured to: dry the humidified food ingredients according to the drying parameters; The determining module is further configured to: when the target state is a first state, determine the heating temperature as a first temperature, the heating duration as a first duration, the humidification duration as a second duration, the drying temperature as a second temperature, and the drying duration as a third duration; and when the target state is a second state, determine the heating temperature as a third temperature, the heating duration as a fourth duration, the humidification duration as a fifth duration, the drying temperature as a fourth temperature, and the drying duration as a sixth duration. Wherein, the surface crispness of the food in the first state is lower than that of the food in the second state, the first temperature and the second temperature are both greater than the first temperature threshold, the third temperature and the fourth temperature are both greater than the second temperature threshold, the first temperature threshold is less than or equal to the second temperature threshold, and the second duration is greater than the fifth duration.

11. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program, characterized in that When executed by a processor, the computer program implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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